Bunk’s Status

Tuesday was the first serious day of dealing with the pressure wound, and Bunk found the tedium of having to be in bed nearly the entire day a bit much; no doubt he’s frustrated about the fact that this will be the case for at least three months, more likely closer to six. He and Mom decided to exploit his three hour hall pass in the wheelchair during the time when (dear) Don Ward would be around for his volunteer PT / OT work with Bunk in the late afternoon, followed by his manual therapy appointment with Julie at 5:00. When Don arrived at 4:00, he happened upon the onerous transfer routine scene and spent his entire visit helping transfer Bunk out of bed and into his wheelchair. It certainly made the transfer more bearable for Bunk, and he and Don joked about the increasing difficulty Bunk is having with his airway secretions (they were quite a bit of trouble for him the entire morning and throughout the afternoon) commenting that, “you know things are bad when your own Mother coaches you on how to hock the best loogie possible - I used to get busted for it!” (his words, not mine). Mom said it’s great for Bunk having Don around for his weekly visits, and since they didn’t have a chance to get to the OT / PT routine, he said he’d try again later in the week. Julie arrived just as Don was saying goodbye, her manual therapy a very real blessing in terms of dealing with Bunk’s persistent pain, and her visit lasted a little over an hour. Prior to the transfer out of bed late in the afternoon, however, Bunk did sleep well on Monday night, but was exhausted nonetheless with the difficult and irritating work of having to deal with the increasing airway secretions for hours on end throughout the day. A nice visit from our parent’s good friends, Mr. and Mrs. Toohey, helped brighten the day and the lengthy time spent in bed. They brought with them good cheer, a truckload of delicious homemade food, and offers for any kind of help Bunk and our family might need. On Bunk’s behalf, Mom requests prayers for a speedy healing of the pressure wound, and for Bunk’s winning spirit to hold tight during what is sure to be a lengthy and difficult recovery period. Thank you for the fantastic emails, voice mail messages and guestbook entries, as they continue to provide a positive conduit for Bunk to the loving and wide world of friends, family, students, and colleagues. Since Bunk is in bed much of the time these days - obviously resulting in some pretty serious boredom - visits, friendship, and good humor will go a long way toward making this latest recovery more tolerable; if you have a chance, and as your schedule allows, please drop in for a visit!

Where yesterday was calm and steady, today was nothing of the sort, starting the week with a stressful bang and plenty of frustration as Bunk attempted to get to St. Jude for both his wound care appointment and occupational / physical therapy appointment. Oddly enough, he slept well last night, just in the knick of time to be able to deal with a challenging day. His airway secretions were extreme this morning, and it took all of his effort and time prior to leaving for the hospital as he attempted to clear them. Once at the hospital, the lift in the van broke and left him stranded inside the van; after some time, Ever, the driver, was able to speak with the lift company and resolve the issue, eventually allowing Bunk to get out of the van and continue with his day. Late for his therapy, Val the therapist decided it was better if he went straight to the wound care clinic for his appointment, where the worries were confirmed as to its severity. On the way to elevator, unfortunately Bunk’s ventilator began to malfunction, and eventually ceased working altogether. Dad bagged Bunk in order to get him the necessary oxygen; Bunk remained calm throughout the ordeal, but it wasn’t until later this evening that the vent company came by to deliver a new and working ventilator. The nurse spent over an hour removing quite of bit of the unhealthy skinthat is unable to heal and regenerate, and told Bunk she felt it would take at least three months, but more likely six, for the wound to heal. With instructions to stay up in his wheelchair for only 2-3 hours a day, with the rest of the day to be spent in bed, she hoped that the relief of being out of the wheelchair would allow for the wound to heal a bit quicker. Val had stayed with Bunk for the entire visit to the wound care nurse, and upon helping to get Bunk back to therapy, recommended that he now only come to therapy once a week as opposed to twice. She is concerned that the transport, and the time needed for him to be up in his wheelchair would be too much and she pointedly felt the priority at this time must be the healing of the pressure wound. By the end of the hospital visit, Bunk was exhausted and for the first time in ages fell asleep in his wheelchair, of all places! He eventually woke up at which point it was immediately time to get him out of that chair and back into his bed. The transfer process went well, and, while Mom had a lot to say about the day, the most telling and always most touching, was Bunk’s steadfast, sometimes stoic, calm and uncomplaining demeanor. When the vent failed, he didn’t panic and felt that surely things would be alright, and fortunately, they were. We ask for special prayers this evening for the healing of the many serious issues facing Bunk and his body, and as always, please try to send prayers and positive thoughts his way for breathing, peace and comfort.

A year since that fateful Saturday last February and Bunk was feeling well, keeping it all together, and continuing his search for the positive and possible. A little sleep last night, and more in the morning which is often the case, helped prepare Bunk for a rather typical Sunday, beginning with a visit from St. Norbert’s Eucharistic Minister. Bunk, still sleeping when he arrived, answered “absolutely, yes” when Mom attempted to wake him up and asked if he were up for communion and a prayer service - apparently he figured it was an appropriate way to begin this day. A short while later, Tom Brand and his children arrived with a Girl Scout cookie delivery, and an extra box of Bunk’s favorite Somoas thrown in for good measure. Bunk enjoyed Tom’s friendship and the lively good nature of the children for an hour or so, until they said goodbye and he and Dad kept each other company in his room (he was in bed for most of the day) until Bunk’s good friend Greg Schirmer stopped by for a great afternoon visit and chat. Not known for his talking and chatting, and almost always keeping his cards close to his vest, Bunk did say he enjoyed just hanging out with Greg, and that he will always appreciate his dedicated friendship. When Greg said goodnight, Mom joined Bunk for the movie “˜Little Miss Sunshine’, which apparently reminded Bunk of the “˜running start’ days of his old VW bus: “I remember it well,” he said with a grin as he watched them push and jump start the car. Mom reminded me about three times that she switched Bunk’s ventilator setting to SIMV in the middle of the night last night,that he’s been on it since, and is still doing well (he still receives fairly decent assistance in breathing while on the SIMV setting, but breathing a little on his own is better than none.) Of all times to get out of bed and move around the house a bit, 6:00 in the evening seemed to be the magic hour, and once up in his chair (it took over an hour to complete the transfer out of bed) he felt good for three hours, (primarily because “˜Rome’ was on the T.V.) before they decided it was time to return to bed, alleviate some pressure on the wound, and try to get some sound rest in bed. It was, since his accident and his return home, a very regular day; ayear ago, that would have seemed beyond ridiculous, but - here we are. Bunk makes the most and takes the best out of each day, and today he felt good, was happy to be alive and grateful beyond words for his loving family and friends, without whom, by his own account, he would never have made it even a year. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for everything you do and think and pray for Bunk, every day. He’s looking forward to tomorrow - another day of therapy and its wide open possibilities.

Taking advantage of a low key, unhurried morning, Bunk remained in bed for a good portion of the day; not only did the rest do his compromised body some good, it also is necessary in keeping weight off the stubborn pressure wound. Coincidentally, the home visit wound care nurse turned up out of the blue (home visits for anything are generally unplanned and unreliable - they show up when they get approval from insurance and when it suits their schedule) to check on Bunk’s wound and found it not looking great, but, in her opinion, not looking too bad, either. Nonetheless, Bunk and Mom agreed it was absolutely necessary to move forward with the wound care department at St. Jude, even though it means transporting Bunk to and from the hospital, and in and out of his wheelchair a few times in order to have a look at the wound and reach an accurate prognosis. Obviously, they are both very worried about it. Putting worry aside when Julie the manual therapist arrived, Bunk was able to benefit from her therapeutic expertise and the relief from pain that it brings. Amanda Wolf and her two sons, Sean and McKinney (Bunk’s godson) also stopped by in the afternoon for some good cheer and positive conversation while Brian, her husband and Bunk’s good friend, played rugby (for the Bucks). Bunk is always pleased to know that his friends decided to continue playing. A few more rugby friends, Jello and Dave, came by later in the day after the game for a nice evening visit and beer with Bunk - a good way to round out a Saturday. With spirits still sound and fortunately not flagging, Bunk requested to begin the transfer routine early again, in order to relieve pressure on the sore and get some comfortable rest in bed, while watching a few brand new DVDs that Mom brought home - he was happy for some new material. Sunday will be the one year mark of Bunk’s accident, a day we all wincingly remember for it’s pain, fear, and life changing events; I think Bunk is happy to let it pass quietly and refrain from focusing, at least as much as possible, on the bad - trying with all his might to focus on, as he always says, “what is possible”.

PS - My apologies for spelling Mrs. Narda Daly’s name incorrectly in yesterday’s update.

Although he slept well, an early, sad Friday morning began around 7:00 when the morning wake up and transfer routine kicked in, and Ever arrived to take Bunk, Mom and Dad to St. Martin’s in Yorba Linda for the funeral of Mrs. Narda Daly, the mother of Bunk’s great friend Dave Daly. Although Bunk didn’t want his presence, with the constant alarms on his ventilator sounding, to be a distraction, there really wasn’t much discussion about whether or not to attend. They felt privileged to join the celebration of Mrs. Daly’s life, as well as warmed by the presence of many friends. Being able to visit with his friends and share stories and memories of the Daly’s was heartwarming for Bunk, and his visit with Coach Toner (his freshman football coach at Servite) hopefully did the old trick of putting some fire in his belly. Returning home around 1:00 in the afternoon, just before his home visit occupational therapist arrived, Bunk was very tired but looking forward to working as much as possible on his leg exercises with Carolyn. Our longtime family friends, Mr. and Mrs. Valentine, arrived about 1:30 to take Mom to Hardy Windowsto helpselect the windows for Bunk’s new apartment above the garage. Bykeeping things moving forwardand bringing all the loose ends together, Mr. Valentine has pretty much single handedly assured that Bunk will have an accessible, workable place of his own to live as he continues his attempt at recovery and becomes more accustomed to his incredibly challenging new life. Hardy Windows, where they were headed, is owned by Chance Hardy, a generous fellow who has offered to donate all the beautiful wood frame windows for Bunk’s new pad. He suffered a spinal cord injury himself, and Bunk has been very grateful for the opportunity to meet Chance and be inspired by his positive story. Between the increasingly high calcium levels, the exhaustion, lack of sleep, lack of an appetite, the nausea, the decaying teeth problem, and the worsening pressure wound, amazingly Bunk’s spirits have been solid and positive. He and Dad busied themselves watching “˜The DaVinci Code’ before turning in for the night. Thank you for those ongoing, dedicated prayers and intentions for Bunk’s ultimate healing.

Thursday, the first in three days that Bunk didn’t have to be at a medical, therapeutic, or dental appointment, was a rather long and quiet day for Bunk; it was greatly needed and he appreciated the time in bed to rest. Although it seems as if the urgency to manage his pressure wound has come on suddenly, the worsening sore on his back side has reached a point that Mom feels needs professional attention, treatments and prognoses, above and beyond her nursing care at home. Bunk is scheduled to visit the wound care specialist at St. Jude this Monday; in the meantime, he needs to remain in bed as much as possible - only staying up in his wheelchair for four hours at the most each day - in order to alleviate the pressure on the wound and be turned (shifting his weight) more easily. As far as I understand, the pressure wound is now the top priority, with the oral surgery and subsequent high calcium reducing treatments taking a back seat. Unfortunately for Bunk, all three issues are of great import, especially since they dictate so immediately to his general health, well being, and, of course, his recovery. It seems to just be one serious issue after another preventing his own personally planned attack on quadriplegia and the ventilator. Bunk eventually did get out of bed and up into his wheelchair for a few hours in the afternoon, and in the early evening was greeted by our family friend from St. Norbert’s, Jamie Swanson, whose mother, Mrs. Peggy Taylor, made a delicious roast beef dinner for Bunk, Mom and Dad, which Jamie delivered. Mom asked me to convey how grateful they were for the warm, home cooked meal, and how much they appreciate Mrs. Taylor’s ongoing effort to comfort and care for our family - and of course, Jamie’s friendly smile and generosity. It was a somewhat bumpy night on the road to bed, with more than his usual share of airway secretions and the discomfort that these present. A night nurse was on duty Thursday night, which is always welcome news to the managers of the sleep department. Thoughtful prayers are requested for Bunk’s healing and wellbeing, and for his pressure wound to begin healing and heading in a more positive direction.

Bunk has spent the last two Ash Wednesdays of his life in Catholic Hospitals: last year he was at Holy Cross, just days after his injury, and this year he was at St. Jude for therapy - both conveniently offering ashes that he wouldn’t otherwise have received. He remarked he was happy just to be visiting the hospital for therapy this time around. Another night of little sleep didn’t help prepare him for a busy day of therapy and renewed efforts at breathing and healing, but he worked hard today and even saw a slight improvement on the nausea front. He tried the vent free thing again today, and managed to breathe for a few minutes before asking to go back on the vent. After a few more moments, he wanted to give breathing another go, and this time did so for just under ten minutes - better than Monday, and even while under the weather, no less. He was experiencing some fairly intense pain in his neck, both yesterday and today, so after the breathing he asked if they could do some manipulation and massage with his neck; it helped a little. Once home, he rested a bit before Brian Wolf and his son Sean came by for the Wednesday workout; this time Bunk asked Mom to show Brian how to do the range of motion exercises, so, in addition to the actual therapy exercises Brian does with Bunk, he can now add ROM to the list. When Bunk rests between sets, the range of motion exercises are a smart way to relax but keep “moving”. Bunk was a having a great workout and they were enjoying their visit when they were happily joined by Marty Franco, another O.C. Buck teammate, who stopped by after having his taxes done. Apparently in the mood for a drink or two, they had a few beers and some Joe Josts pickled eggs and kicked back to enjoy a little television together. The visits were uplifting and positive today, and we’re grateful beyond words for the effort that each of you makes to come by so regularly and bring a little light tohis day. After everyone said goodnight, Bunk requested to return to bed early in an attempt to recover some lost rest and sleep. By 7:30, Bunk was back in his room and bed, resting comfortably and keeping his chin up - as usual.

A very busy day for Bunk, Mom and Dad began on the foundation of very little sleep, but in good spirits. Bunk had been scheduled for an early (10:30) dentist appointment, which morphed into a visit to the oral surgeon in the attempt - ongoing since way back when at Craig Hospital - to deal with a nimble nemesis: one decaying tooth. It needs to be extracted, andtheurgency has begun anew since Bunk’s necessary treatment for his high calcium levels cannot proceed until the dental issues are finally resolved. The high calcium level, if that is in fact the basis of theserather difficult issues that continue in derailing Bunk from his recovery efforts, is to be treated with a series of ongoing IV infusions; this apparently cannot happen until his dental and oral health is in good order because of the risk of a loss of calcium. In other words, we were caught with our pants down for not having taken care of Bunk’s dental issues long ago - they have been causing him problems since last April at Craig, and we are only now dealing with them since they functionally are blocking further treatment for the more pressing matter of his overall declining health (increased inability to sleep, nausea, lack of appetite, etc.). It was decided at the oral surgeon’s office that Bunk ought to have all of his wisdom teeth removed at one time, and under local anesthesia. It is a mystery how Mom and the oral surgeon were able to get Bunk to agree to local anesthesia - he has increasing issues with things and people being around and near his face and hovering over him - and a dentist with pliers in his face and mouth seems very nearly the height of invasion. I would hazard a guess that he will end up being put under general anesthesia to have all four teeth removed, and we are hoping sooner rather than later. The date for the surgery was scheduled for two weeks hence; but in the meantime, he’ll be unable to receive the prescribed treatment for the elevated calcium levels and what are quite possibly the side effects he is experiencing. His nausea gets worse and more uncomfortable by the day, as does his insomnia and anorexic like aversion to eating and food in general. Bunk has been very strong, patient and humble in the midst of this scheduling mayhem - and all that encompasses his tragedy- and it is difficult to stand by and watch him suffer because of it. Once home from the dentist, it took Bunk quite some time to recover from the transport and the bouts of nausea that plagued him throughout the afternoon. Fortunately, Beverly was there and came prepared to help Bunk work on his goals, both short and long term, and hopes to get his goal chart up and running again. Dear Beverly even brought a movie along that instructs in the art of visualizing your goals and developing a course of action with them; Bunk patiently withstood the incantations and motivators that seemed to be channeling Stuart Smalley before kindly mentioning, after 45 minutes, that “I think I’ve had enough.” Bev is both a great friend andmotivating force forBunk, someone he feels very comfortable talking to - we’re fortunate that she is our sister in law! Health-wise, things eventually began to look up with the arrival of Don Ward, bringing in a fresh perspective and some good humor for Bunk, as well as more than a few repetitions of Bunk’s therapy exercises. Unable to complete the entire routine, but feeling much better, Bunk enjoyed, as he always does, Don’s company, positive spirit, and lifelong friendship. Julie, the manual therapist, arrived as Don was finishing his workout with Bunk, and she worked a little magic on his sore neck, head and shoulders. While they were simultaneously chatting and continuing with his therapy, Bunk’s friends Monty, followed by Gilbert, arrived for a great visit. Together, they all watched some random sports and other silly shows on television and brought the good cheer quotient back into the Wurth house. By the end of the day, Bunk had enjoyed himself and his friendships very much. Please pray tonight for some quick resolve on the issues of Bunk’s oral surgery and the high calcium treatments which will follow, as, hopefully, they will factor greatly into the ability for his health to improve. Thanks for keeping Bunk in your hearts and prayers always.

Monday arrived, and with it Bunk’s 11:30 therapy appointment at St. Jude.
Ever, the driver of the hired van, was unfortunately a little late, so Bunk arrived about half way through the allotted therapy time; still enough time to work on his breathing, which he wasn’t keen on doing, and doing some neck and shoulder exercises and manual therapy. Val, the occupational therapist who works with Bunk, encouraged him to give the breathing effort a try: he managed two minutes before requesting to stop and work on his wheelchair driving and neck massage. Patient persistent is a good word to describe Val, who acquiesced to Bunk’s wishes but first got him to agree that he would just be taking quick break before getting back to the heart of the matter - the breathing. After ten minutes of wheelchair manipulation, Bunk agreed to give breathing another pass - this time managing five minutes off the ventilator. Absolutely wiped out - could it be the calcium building up again? - Bunk felt he was too tired to continue breathing properly, and asked to be hooked back up to the ventilator. At the end of the session, as they were getting ready to say good bye, Val convinced Bunk to drive himself in his wheelchair, with his new chin control, from inside the hospital, into the elevator, outside and finally - to the car. In spite of being so fatigued, Bunk did very well driving his wheelchair, but was happy to return home for some hot tea and a wonderful visit from his old friend Paul White, who is visiting from Canada this week. Paul and Bunk enjoyed each other’s company as well as catching up after many years. Not long after Paul said goodbye, Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Ray arrived on their return trip home to San Diego; they all enjoyed dinner together and a very positive, uplifting evening. Saying goodnight around 9:00, Aunt Kath and Uncle Ray had been a bright spot in the day of everyone in the house; Bunk asked to be helped back into bed shortly after they left watching a bit of television with Dad prior to falling asleep for most of the night. Fortunately, Bunk’s intermittent fever of the last few days subsided, and hopefully was not the harbinger of another sinister infection lurking in the wings. Bunk continues to persevere, day in and day out, with healthy amounts of hope and incredible patience and humility. Thank you for your prayers for his wellbeing, breathing and recovery.

A day of slight improvement finally arrived, and after about 3:00 in the morning and a dose of his old sleeping meds, Bunk finally got to sleep. Dozing on and off through the morning, he awoke for a brief, kind visit from Tom Brand, both a Eucharistic Minister at St. Norbert’s and a good rugby friend of Bunk’s from his Finlander days. It is always nice, when on Sunday mornings, Bunk, Mom and Dad are able to receive communion at home since attending mass is, sadly,a difficult production these days. Hopefully in time such outings will become routine. The effort to cough, and the exhaustion associated with it, was a large part of Bunk’s Sunday. To our sweet surprise - and especially Bunk’s - he managed to cough up quite a bit of his secretions under his own physical effort. By the end of the day, this coughing, in addition to some airway suctioning, seemed to clear things up, and at least temporarily, help him to feel much better. Of course, we are all keenly aware that the ability to cough and clear secretions is a large part of Bunk’s ability to sustain himself without the assistance of a ventilator, so it was good news in that regard. Aside from feeling a bit better, having no fever and a slight return of his appetite, he was happy to see Brian and Amanda Wolf and their children when they arrived for a fun visit around 4:00 in the afternoon. Naturally, Amanda picked up the 80’s Trivial Pursuit game where they left off last time, and managed to help jumpstart Bunk’s brain a little after days of feeling lousy and weary. Rounding out the vastly improved day was the arrival of Derek, Beverly and Katie, with Bunk and Derek’s rugby friend, Junior. The Wolf family said goodnight, and Derek and Bev picked up where Amanda left off with the Trivial Pursuit game; Dad barbequed and they all enjoyed a nice Sunday evening dinner together - with Bunk joining in for some much needed calories. Being Sunday and the night that “˜Rome’ airs weekly on T.V., Bunk and Dad had been looking forward to the night’s episode before beginning the bedtime transfer process. We are grateful for your prayers and for Bunk’s slight improvement today, and look forward to a positive day of therapy for him tomorrow at St. Jude.